1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular, to a method, computer program product and system for describing data. Still more particularly, the present invention relates a computer implemented method, computer usable program code and system for utilizing meta-data tags to describe data behaviors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer programs exchange data for a variety of purposes. In order for one computer program to understand the context and meaning of a particular piece of data exchanged with another computer program, descriptive information about each piece of data is often exchanged along with the data. Data describing other data in this manner is sometimes referred to as meta-data.
To standardize meta-data tags to identify pieces of data, a common approach is to create specific meta-data labels. Labels in meta-data are used to describe the type and format of data. Each meta-data label has a specific meaning and prescribes a format for that data.
In addition, some industries have developed standard meta-data labels to be used in their industry and have promoted these standard meta-data labels with the International Organization for Standards (ISO).
Meta-data labels and/or meta-data documents can be used to describe data content, which relates to what the object or data element contains; the data context, which indicates the who, what, why, where, and how aspects associated with the creation of the object or data element; and data structure, which relates to the formal set of associations within or among individual information objects.
When a new meta-data label needs to be added to data to describe either new pieces of data or to add an additional description to an existing piece of data, existing documents containing the data must be updated to include the new label. This process typically involves modifying the sending program to include the new meta-data label in the exchanged document containing the data. In addition, the receiving program may have to be updated to interpret and handle the new meta-data label.
Thus, describing new data or adding an additional description to existing data utilizing meta-data labels with specific standardized meanings requires a user to modify existing data exchange documents, modifying the sending program to add a new meta-data label, and updating receiving programs to handle the new meta-data label. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code using meta-data tags to describe data behaviors without modifying the sending program or any of the existing exchanged documents.